Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, said on Thursday that he was aware that only a half of the workers in the state civil service voted for him in the April 11 election.
The governor said this at the retirement thanksgiving and book presentation organised for a former head of service in the state, Tajudeen Aremu, in Ibadan, the state capital.
Ajimobi, who attributed his success at the governorship election to God, also said that he encountered difficulties when he introduced changes in the state during the early days of his administration.
He said, “One thing I have noticed is that people don’t always want change. If there is no change, there cannot be transformation. When I brought changes at the beginning of this administration, I was criticised. Developing knowledge is essential in life.
“Civil servants are never satisfied because the more you give to them, the more they demand. When people told me that the civil servants in the state would not vote for me, I said that I have done enough for them.
“I have increased their salaries in three folds, offered training opportunities to them and we continue to give 13th month salary for the past three years. But once you omit something that you have been giving them, that is what they will use against you.
“So when eventually I was told that they did not vote for me, I said at least some of them would still have voted for me. Even God allowed devil to exist. Once you are able to get 50 per cent of the votes, you have won the election. I like to believe that at least 50 per cent of the workers voted for me. I must congratulate those who did not vote for me. I can assure them that the next four years will be better. My impression about civil service when I came has changed because I have realised that there are intelligent ones among them.”
In his tribute to the former head of service, the governor noted that hard work, focus, perseverance and positive vision were necessary ingredients of success.
